| name | html-to-pdf |
| description | Renders one or more HTML files to PDF using Chrome's headless --print-to-pdf mode. Reliable and standalone — no pre-running Chrome or CDP connection required, and a throwaway user-data-dir means it never collides with the user's running browser. Use for ATS resumes, cover letters, or any local HTML→PDF conversion. By default it forces A4 with 10mm margins on every page; headers/footers are omitted. |
| license | MIT |
HTML to PDF
Render HTML files to PDF via Chrome's headless --print-to-pdf. This is the
consistent, standalone method for HTML→PDF in this environment.
Why this method
Other approaches (e.g. a CDP/Page.printToPDF client on port :9222) require a
Chrome instance to already be running with --remote-debugging-port=9222. If it
isn't, rendering fails with a connection error.
This skill spawns its own short-lived headless Chrome per run, pointed at a
throwaway --user-data-dir. Consequences:
- No setup — nothing needs to be running beforehand.
- No collisions — it never touches the user's running Chrome (different
profile dir), so it works even while the user has Chrome open.
- No port — nothing listens on
:9222; nothing to clean up.
Requirements
google-chrome, google-chrome-stable, chromium-browser, or chromium on
PATH. The script auto-detects the first one found.
Usage
./scripts/render-pdf.sh resume.html
./scripts/render-pdf.sh resume.html cover-letter.html
./scripts/render-pdf.sh --out /tmp/out.pdf resume.html
./scripts/render-pdf.sh --header-footer resume.html
./scripts/render-pdf.sh --no-margins resume.html
The script is invoked from the skill directory, e.g.:
bash ~/.pi/agent/skills/html-to-pdf/scripts/render-pdf.sh <file.html>
Defaults
| Behavior | Default | Override |
|---|
| Output path | <input>.pdf (same dir, same basename) | --out <path> |
| Header/footer | omitted (--no-pdf-header-footer) | --header-footer |
| Paper size / margins | A4, 10mm page margins, body margin 0 (injected) | --no-margins (use the HTML's CSS) |
| Chrome profile | throwaway temp dir, removed after each file | — |
| Per-file timeout | 60s | edit CHROME_TIMEOUT in the script |
How page size and margins are controlled
By default, the script forces a consistent page setup on every render,
regardless of the HTML's own CSS:
@page { size: A4 !important; margin: 10mm !important; }
body { margin: 0 !important; }
This guarantees a 10mm margin on all four edges of every page — including the
top of page 2+ and the bottom of page 1, which a body margin alone cannot do
(see below). It works by copying the HTML to a temp file and injecting this
<style> right after the opening <head> tag; your source file is never
modified.
To use the HTML's own @page/body CSS instead, pass --no-margins:
./scripts/render-pdf.sh --no-margins resume.html
Chrome's --print-to-pdf has no --paper-size flag; it honors @page CSS, so
under --no-margins a Letter-vs-A4 problem is fixed in the HTML, not via a flag.
Why margins must live on @page, not body (matters under --no-margins)
A body margin applies once, at the start of the body — so on a multi-page
document page 2+ content is glued to the top edge and every page's bottom runs
flush. @page margins repeat on every page:
@page { size: A4; margin: 10mm; }
@page { size: A4; margin: 0; }
@media print { body { margin: 16mm; } }
Output
For each input the script prints one line:
→ resume.html
✓ /abs/path/resume.pdf (23811 bytes)
followed by a summary. Exit code is 0 only if every file succeeded; on failure
the offending file's Chrome stderr is shown for debugging.
Files
scripts/render-pdf.sh — the renderer (bash, no dependencies).
